The FAITH portion of our workout was written by Jadi Rodriguez, FAITH RXD Interim Executive Director and member of the Board of Directors. The FITNESS portion was programmed by Anthony Davis, Games Athlete and FAITH RXD Coach.
FITNESS WORKOUT
The Mindset
Let’s finish our strength skill month with the proper mindset- a mindset that is set on Jesus in times of grief and difficulties according to His strength and not ours. It would be easy to think we could have done a 1RM lift for our strength workout. However, strength does not always look like we think it does, and so today we want to lighten the load, remove the cap, grind a long one, and throw in some rowing.
The rowing will represent the fact the world continues to go on while we are in pain and grief, while the thrusters are work that we are called to do in scripture. Chip away at the work, no matter how long it takes. There is no time cap. Be mindful of God’s commandments, and while they may be many, they are designed for our benefit. Including our strength!
The Workout
119 Thrusters for Time (75/55) Rx (95/65) Rx+
Every 2 Min starting at 0:00:
28/22 cal row
FAITH WORKOUT
Reading
Psalm 119: 28 ESV
“My soul melts away for sorrow;
strengthen me according to your word!”
Message
Have you ever googled “strength program”?
Go ahead and try it. You won’t find a shortage of hits, in fact, I do not believe it to be possible to go over every single possible strength program that will show up in the results.
Functional strength program, bodybuilding strength program, Olympic weightlifting program, you name it. There is a specific type of strength program that everyone believes is the best type of strength program for them.
And why should they think differently?
We live in a world that cannot agree on truth! In a society and culture that tells you to search and find your own truth. Thus it stands to reason that everyone’s preferred strength programming looks different.
But what about our spiritual strength? Are there multiple ways to be strong spiritually?
That is, can we achieve spiritual strength in our own preferred way?
In short? No. But allow me to elaborate.
Disclaimer! This is my favorite psalm, meaning there is a good chance I am about to get really geeky and long-winded.
Admittedly, it took me a little studying to understand what the psalmist meant when he wrote, “My soul melts for sorrow.” What he is doing is crying out to the Lord that his heart has been overcome with grief.
From what?
We do not know. We do not know who the author of Psalm 119 is. Many scholars speculate that it was written post-Babylonian exile, but even that cannot be certain.
Here is what we do know about Psalm 119:
- It is a wisdom psalm.
- It is the longest psalm and longest chapter in the Bible.
- It is longer than many of the books in the Bible.
- There are 22 stanzas of 8 verses each, following the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet in sequence!
- The first word of each of the 8 verses within a stanza begins with the same letter to which it corresponds.
OK, how cool, poetic, and perfect is that?! So intricate! God’s Word just never ceases to amaze!
That is what this psalm is all about. God’s word. Specifically the Torah, or covenant instruction. It is a long and passionate celebration of God’s instructions and guidance for our life!
And that is what I love so much about verse 28. It is a plea to be strengthened, but not just in any way. It is not even a plea for strength according to our, or the psalmist’s wisdom. Yet that is what we do so often with God, is it not? We tell God how he should strengthen us.
Psalm 119:28 however reminds us of strength as prescribed.
Or should I say, Strength RX’d? According to His word!
The psalmist, like many of us, finds himself vulnerably crying out to God in a time of grief and requesting that God provide him with strength, but specifically strength that is according to scripture.
Let’s now read all 8 verses of the stanza designated to Daleth “ד”, the 4th letter of the Hebrew alphabet:
Daleth
25 My soul clings to the dust;
give me life according to your word!
26 When I told of my ways, you answered me;
teach me your statutes!
27 Make me understand the way of your precepts,
and I will meditate on your wondrous works.
28 My soul melts away for sorrow;
strengthen me according to your word!
29 Put false ways far from me
and graciously teach me your law!
30 I have chosen the way of faithfulness;
I set your rules before me.
31 I cling to your testimonies, O Lord;
let me not be put to shame!
32 I will run in the way of your commandments
when you enlarge my heart!
There is so much to unpack in these 8 verses alone!
I love how the psalmists implies that a soul which is not given life according to God’s word, clings to the same dust from where we were created. I love how he outlines that instruction from God keeps us away from deceit. But most of all I love how the psalmist takes ownership of choosing truth, and thus God’s ordinances must be before him.
As a result, a spiritual strength that is not according to God’s breathed-out word in scripture is no strength at all.
In CrossFit terms, it’s like a squat that never breaks parallel. It’s not really a squat. The standards dictate and define the movement, in the same way, scripture dictates and defines our prescribed spiritual strength.
QUESTIONS FOR GROUP DISCUSSION OR PERSONAL JOURNALING:
- How was the workout for you? Did it reveal something unexpected to you, either mentally, physically, or spiritually?
- Have you made the mistake of asking God to strengthen you according to your own wisdom?
- Has God given you strength in the past that was according to His word yet different from what you asked for or wanted? How was that better?
- What dangers in regards to God’s perfect sovereignty are presented when we think we know better, and seek spiritual strength contrary to scripture? How can we avoid this?
